Intel/Win applications - NUC, MiniPC, Server. What do you recommend?

Hi everyone,

currently I am thinking about the topic of a central computer.
The following apps should run on the computer so that I can then remotely access it from the Mac (M1 & Intel)

- ETS Professional
- Gira Project Assistant
- Unifi Controller
- possibly VirtualBox to play around with Home Assistant

in other words, I want to have all the programs that do not run natively on Macs or require an Intel chipset (or both, no idea what runs on Win for ARM) on a central computer, which I can then use remotely.

Since these are not "classic" server applications, I thought of a MiniPC or NUC with WIN 10, which I would run 24/7 in the 19" rack.
Does it make sense to switch to server technology designed for 24/7 operation? DELL PowerEdge or similar? But usually only the server versions of Windows run on those, and the rest is again "tinkering."

Regards,
Harv

Hi Harv, where does your Viso run, or don’t you want one? For me, programs like Viso, Unifi, weather, etc. all run on a Peaknx Control Pro. Runs very smoothly without any disturbances.

If you are technically inclined, then build yourself a small server with Debian on it.

I have one: ITX board with an Intel iCPU (Pentium J3710) plus 8GB RAM and many SSDs with RAID. Currently has an uptime of 420 days. Runs Unifi, Nextcloud, and Home Assistant on it.
I will only upgrade the RAM.

Otherwise, I would tend to go for an Intel NUC. I would not consider special server hardware necessary in the home user area.

The visualization is the least important of all, currently it runs on an X1, but I can imagine upgrading it sometime in the future. However, I first need a WIN system to run the other apps, as I don’t want Bootcamp and with M1 it’s anyway a thing of the past.

The requirement is that [ETS, GPA, UniFi Controller] run on it, therefore no Debian or similar.

I can report good long-term experiences with the NUCs. Low failure rate. Even one NUC started only as a test phase with i5, 16GB, SSD ... then just ran as a server for about 5 years! without failures. Better not use Atom, Pentium J, or Celeron CPUs, you always get annoyed by the 100% CPU load that occurs with every mouse click. NAS with e.g. VMM from Synology no alternative? They are also available in 19" and shallow installation depth.

At my desk, an i3 NUC with SSD runs day and night and never fails, never crashes. Windows 10 Professional is installed.